A Night (Locked) Out
by TeamPiper
Summary: After a particularly brutal detention with Professor Umbridge, all Luna Lovegood wants to do is go into her dorm and sleep it off. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that's not possible, due to the fact that none of the Ravenclaws can decode the riddle that allows them to enter the Common Room.


**I haven't written in a super long time, so I'm sorry if this is a little rough. Oddly enough, this is my first Harry Potter fanfiction. This is loosely based off of a text post a saw on tumblr. Enjoy!**

It had been a normal enough day for fourth year Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood. Admittedly, what Miss Lovegood classified as normal, is usually anything but to an innocent bystander.

She had awoken to the sun shining into her room, the beams of light complimenting the dark blue details in her dorm just right. She smiled to herself, and got up, careful not to wake her bunk mates.

After sliding into her robes, Luna glanced around for a pair of shoes. However, to her dismay, there were none in sight. She hadn't expected them to turn up anytime soon, so she knew she shouldn't have been surprised at their absence.

She sensed the awakening of her bunk mates, and quickly scurried out of the dorm before they saw her. Try as she may, they were not the easiest people to befriend.

Skipping down to the Great Hall, she crossed several Slytherin girls in their sixth year.

"Hey Loony!" Laughed Rosetta Wallace, a mousey haired girl with a shrill voice. "Where are your shoes?"

"It seems all of my shoes have mysteriously disappeared" replied Luna in her dreamy voice. "Must be the nargles; they're always up to something. Thanks for your concern, Rosetta"

"As Luna skipped away, she pretended not to hear the harsh whispers behind her.

She was use to it.

Luna took a solitary seat at the Ravenclaw table, and scooped a favorable portion of pudding (yes, she acknowledged that pudding was not a breakfast food. No, that was not going to stop her).

She peered over to the Gryffindor table, and spared a glance for her new friends. She felt somewhat excluded that she was the only Ravenclaw in a clique full of Gryffindors, but nevertheless, she had friends. That was more than she could say before.

Harry saw her across the room, and gave her a friendly wave. Luna gave him an excited wave back, and considered just staying by his side for the day. However, Hermione Granger quickly pulled Harry down in a seat next to her, and Luna dismissed the thought.

Rising from her seat, Luna decided she better get to Defense class; she was already on Professor Umbridge's bad side, and being late to class would hardly help that.

•••

"Miss Lovegood" Professor Umbridge snapped about half way through the lesson.

"Yes, m'am?" Luna questioned. She had been reading quietly, her bare feet sitting with her on the chair to keep them somewhat warmer.

"My I inquire where your shoes may be?" Umbridge said, in a faux tone of concern.

"I suspect the nargles are behind it" Luna replied honestly.

"Detention, Miss Lovegood" Umbridge exclaimed. "And don't let me see this again"

At precisely 5:00 pm, Luna skipped dejectedly into Professor Umbridge's office, in a pair of Ginny Weasley's shoes. They were 4 sizes to big, and immensely worn out (Ginny had mentioned them once belonging to her brother Charlie until he outgrew them), but Luna appreciated them nonetheless.

She knocked slowly on the door, and almost instantly, a cold voice said "Come in"

"Hello, m'am" Luna said, quieter than she normally would have.

"Yes, hello dear. Today, you will be writing lines for me"

Luna was confused. People always complained immensely of detentions with Umbridge. But just writing lines?

"Of course" Luna said, and sat down in the chair adjacent to the desk.

There was a paper and quill sitting out, ready for her.

"You will write 'I will be normal'. Just until it sinks in"

Luna openly flinched at that. "Excuse me, m'am I don't mean to disrespect, but I fail to see how that phrase relates to my not wearing shoes in class"

"I'm sure some students would disagree. Now write"

••

Luna left the office with no spring in her step, and a bloody hand. Frankly, all she wanted to do was go up to her dorm, clean off her hand, and call it a night.

However, she was greeted with a peculiar sight outside of Ravenclaw tower.

The entire house was gathered outside of the common room. Different emotions flashed across different faces; puzzled, frustrated, angry, and determinate.

"What's going on?" Luna asked Marietta, a fellow member of the DA.

Marietta said hastily "No one can figure out the riddle to get in"

Before Luna could ask anymore questions, Marietta scurried off next to Cho Chang, presumably so she wouldn't be seen conversing with the likes of a Lovegood.

"Okay, repeat the riddle?" Prefect, William Morris asked.

"A man is found murdered on Sunday. His wife calls the police, who question the staff. They all give their alibi. The wife was sleeping, the butler was cleaning the closet, the gardener was getting vegetables, the maid was retrieving the post, and the cook was preparing a meal. Who committed the murder?"

This perplexed Luna. She went over each idea in her head through and through. All night, the Ravenclaw house spent trying to think of a way to solve this mystery.

Finally, the sun rose. All of the students made their way to the Great Hall, running on no sleep.

_Great_, Luna thought. _A full day going on no sleep, and my hand is still covered in blood._

•••/

"Luna, are you alright? Your spells aren't as precise as they normally are" Harry Potter said to her as their DA meeting came to a close.

"Oh, I'm quite alright, Harry" she replied, faking a smile. "Just a rough day"

As she started to leave, Harry called out "Wait Luna, what's that on your hand?"

"My hand?" She asked, getting nervous. She wasn't too trilled about the idea of Harry seeing what Umbridge had done to her.

She tried to weave herself away from him, but Harry managed to snatch her hand and pull it closer. Giving up, she let him look at it, no resistance. His eyes grew as he saw what was marked across her skin.

"Merlin! Did Umbridge do this to you!?" Harry exclaimed, rage hinting in his green eyes.

Luna simply nodded.

"Luna, why didn't you tell me? I would have helped you if I knew you needed it!"

"I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I had other things on my mind" Luna said, in her usual dreamy voice.

Harry's eyes softened up. "Luna, you're my friend, not a bother. Don't hesitate coming to me about this kind of thing, okay?"

"Okay" Luna said.

"Hey, no offense, but you look like you're going to pass out any second now. Would you like me to walk you to your common room?"

"That would be wonderful" Luna replied. "Sorry I look so bad. The Ravenclaws were locked out of our dorms last night. No one could discover the riddle to get back in"

"Really? Maybe I could give it a shot!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, it's worth a try!" Luna declared.

A few moments later, Harry and Luna approached the Ravenclaw common room. Outside there was, again, a large group of Ravenclaws attempting to get back into their house.

"Harry Potter wants to give it a try" Luna said to her housemates. They all shrugged, and told Harry to give it his best shot.

The riddle repeated:

"A man is found murdered on Sunday. His wife calls the police, who question the staff. They all give their alibi. The wife was sleeping, the butler was cleaning the closet, the gardener was getting vegetables, the maid was retrieving the post, and the cook was preparing a meal. Who committed the murder?"

Harry thought for a moment, and then laughed to himself.

"The maid" Harry said, confidently.

"And why?"

"No post on Sunday's"

The door swung open.

**Well that was fun! I simply adore Luna Lovegood. Her friendship with Harry makes me smile every time. I hope you liked the story! Let me know if you want me to write more Harry Potter things in general, or if you have any fic requests. Please review!**


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